Sorrowful 1870 Virginia Letter About Richmond Capitol Disaster — 62 Men Killed

Description

This woeful letter was written by an unknown resident of Richmond, Virginia, in 1870, about the Richmond Capitol Disaster—an awful event during the Reconstruction Era of the city’s history that resulted in many deaths and injuries. The mayoral election in Richmond that year had been bitterly contested. Despite the fact that Henry K. Ellyson, a Democrat who favored a return to self-government, had won the election, the Reconstruction mayor, George Chahoon, refused to step down from the office. The parties turned to the courts to rectify the situation and the case—
Ellyson v. Chahoon
(or the Richmond Mayoralty Case)—was heard in the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. The case drew wide attention from the public and, when the verdict was to be read on April 27, 1870, hundreds of men packed into the Virginia State Capitol’s second-floor courtroom and balcony gallery. Shortly after the start of the session, the balcony suffered a collapse which, in turn, caused the courtroom floor beneath to cave in. Debris and more than three hundred men fell into the Hall of Delegates below. Sixty-two of them died, including many prominent citizens such as James W. D. Bland, one of the first Black postwar state senators in the Commonwealth; Thomas H. Wilcox, formerly a Confederate major general; Patrick Henry Aylett, former Assistant Attorney General for the Confederate government; and Dr. J. B. Brock of the Richmond
Enquirer and Examiner
. Henry H. Wells, a former governor, was one of the more than 120 that were seriously injured.
The unsigned letter, which likely had an additional page, now missing, describes the anguish among the citizens in the wake of the tragedy. The author opens the letter:
I know, dear Lizzie, how keenly the sympathies of your warm heart would be awakened by the late awful calamity. It seems as if they were never allowed long to remain uncalled for in behalf of your Southern friends. Oh! what a sad, sad visitation this has been. So many of our most valuable respected citizens! The newspapers will have given you a better idea of the appalling sound and of the excitement & distress throughout our community than I could attempt to do. What must have been the sufferings of the victims, and the anguish of their bereaved families, when we, who have such cause for gratitude, that none of our own were among them, have felt so dreadfully. I was truly thankful dear Harvie had left us for home that morning, for had he remained he would no doubt have attended the meeting.
The author then discusses the lists of the dead, as well as the feeling when the fire bells rang that awful day:
You would grieve to see so many familiar names in the sad catalogue of mortality. Several of our pupils have to mourn near relatives. The 3 Ayletts, and 2 Brocks now fatherless. Others have lost uncles & cousins. You may imagine the consternation in the school on the announcement of the heart-rending cause of the ringing & tolling of the fire bell, which someone had the promptitude to resort to as the most effectual means for procuring efficient assistance.
The author continues describing the anguish of Mrs. Aylett, with whom the author was acquainted:
Poor Mrs. Aylett sent immediately after to beg Jessie would go over to aid her in making arrangements for Mr. A’s comfort, in case of his being badly hurt. She could not believe the report of his death, had a couch prepared in the library to save him the fatigue of being taken upstairs. Judge then of her anguish when his corpse was brought home. Our nearest sympathies are naturally with her and her children. From our having been so intimately associated as neighbors and had opportunities of knowing his noble & estimable character in
private
as well as in
public
life, and the domestic happenings of their home. To old Mrs. Rutherford he was as an
own
son! His death seems especially to be universally mourned. Dr. Brock, too, stood high in the public estimation. The testimonials to the worth of both these gentlemen must be most gratifying to their families. Nor are others overlooked in the general expression of regret, and deep sympathy.
Of Dr. Brock’s family, the author writes:
I was glad to learn that Mrs. Brock & her children were individually cared for, their circumstances being very much straitened. The Doctor had insured his life, but not having been able to command the means to renew his policy, which expired 5 days before, it was lost to them. Jessie has been to see Mrs. R. in her affliction and had the satisfaction of relieving her mind a little in regard to her 2 girls by cancelling a debt of about 0 due her for tuition, and offering to finish Maud’s education gratis. Both Mother & daughter evinced much gratitude.
The letter closes with a lengthy passage about other men among the dead and injured, as well as the solemnness of the following days as funeral after funeral took place:
Powhatan Roberts and Nat Howard (Polly Burfoot’s husband) who were associated in the practice of law, were both killed instantly. “Tis strange,” as your mother remarks, “that in three cases her business should have been delayed by the death of her Lawyer.” Sol Jacobs is recovering from his injuries, but I cannot enter into particulars of all. The excitement of that memorable Wednesday was succeeded by the deep sadness of Thursday, when the awful event began to be more fully realized by the numbers of funerals, and the solemn tolling of the bells which continued throughout that and the following day. Only three of the funerals passed here, but that of poor Mr. Charters was the most touching imaginable. The immense procession of the several fire companies, the engines & ladder carriages all profusely decorated with flowers & evergreens, the coffin covered with a black pall placed on one of these carriages (drawn by men) contrasting forcibly with the moving bower of flowers intermingled with black rope streamers, under which it reseted, and all moving so noiselessly along. A vast number of carriages followed in the rear. He was a young man, very much respected. His poor wife, I am told, is almost bereft of reason. We hear of several equally pitiable cases. May the Almighty comfort and protect these stricken ones.
The letter was written on four pages of a 5” x 8” letter sheet. It is in good condition with light toning and foxing. The paper quality is rather thin, and are a few small holes and areas of weakness along the folds. The letter’s full transcript can be read below:
Richmond, May 10th
I know, dear Lizzie, how keenly the sympathies of your warm heart would be awakened by the late awful calamity. It seems as if they were never allowed long to remain uncalled for in behalf of your Southern friends. Oh! what a sad, sad visitation this has been. So many of our most valuable respected citizens! The newspapers will have given you a better idea of the appalling sound and of the excitement & distress throughout our community than I could attempt to do. What must have been the sufferings of the victims, and the anguish of their bereaved families, when we, who have such cause for gratitude, that none of our own were among them, have felt so dreadfully. I was truly thankful dear Harvie had left us for home that morning, for had he remained he would no doubt have attended the meeting. He spect 2 days here, little Jack along with him. You would grieve to see so many familiar names in the sad catalogue of mortality. Several of our pupils have to mourn near relatives. The 3 Ayletts, and 2 Brocks now fatherless. Others have lost uncles & cousins. You may imagine the consternation in the school on the announcement of the heart-rending cause of the ringing & tolling of the fire bell, which someone had the promptitude to resort to as the most effectual means for procuring efficient assistance. We managed, however, to dismiss the girls before any of them learnt how nearly the disaster had affected themselves. Poor Mrs. Aylett sent immediately after to beg Jessie would go over to aid her in making arrangements for Mr. A’s comfort, in case of his being badly hurt. She could not believe the report of his death, had a couch prepared in the library to save him the fatigue of being taken upstairs. Judge then of her anguish when his corpse was brought home. Our nearest sympathies are naturally with her and her children. From our having been so intimately associated as neighbors and had opportunities of knowing his noble & estimable character in
private
as well as in
public
life, and the domestic happenings of their home. To old Mrs. Rutherford he was as an
own
son! His death seems especially to be universally mourned. Dr. Brock, too, stood high in the public estimation. The testimonials to the worth of both these gentlemen must be most gratifying to their families. Nor are others overlooked in the general expression of regret, and deep sympathy. I never knew so widespread a manifestation of it, not only in words, but in deeds. You will observe what liberal contributions are voluntarily being made in all quarters. I was glad to learn that Mrs. Brock & her children were individually cared for, their circumstances being very much straitened. The Doctor had insured his life, but not having been able to command the means to renew his policy, which expired 5 days before, it was lost to them. Jessie has been to see Mrs. R. in her affliction and had the satisfaction of relieving her mind a little in regard to her 2 girls by cancelling a debt of about 0 due her for tuition, and offering to finish Maud’s education gratis. Both Mother & daughter evinced much gratitude. Maud is a fine interesting girl of fourteen. Alice, the older, was anyhow to have made this her last term at school. Judge Meredith, I am glad to say, is sufficiently restored for his daughter to be at school again. We did not reopen it till Monday. Powhatan Roberts and Nat Howard (Polly Burfoot’s husband) who were associated in the practice of law, were both killed instantly. “Tis strange,” as your mother remarks, “that in three cases her business should have been delayed by the death of her Lawyer.” Sol Jacobs is recovering from his injuries, but I cannot enter into particulars of all. The excitement of that memorable Wednesday was succeeded by the deep sadness of Thursday, when the awful event began to be more fully realized by the numbers of funerals, and the solemn tolling of the bells which continued throughout that and the following day. Only three of the funerals passed here, but that of poor Mr. Charters was the most touching imaginable. The immense procession of the several fire companies, the engines & ladder carriages all profusely decorated with flowers & evergreens, the coffin covered with a black pall placed on one of these carriages (drawn by men) contrasting forcibly with the moving bower of flowers intermingled with black rope streamers, under which it reseted, and all moving so noiselessly along. A vast number of carriages followed in the rear. He was a young man, very much respected. His poor wife, I am told, is almost bereft of reason. We hear of several equally pitiable cases. May the Almighty comfort and protect these stricken ones.
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